Dumbledore's Daughter
by beautifullyinsane31
Summary: Hidden for most of her life, Lynx is finally out of hiding to protect the infamous Harry Potter. Hiding her status as Dumbledore's only child, she enters Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry with one goal: keep Harry Potter safe without him knowing. Follow as Lynx's presence unravels more secrets and an even stronger bond than before.
1. Prologue: Request

_**Dumbledore's Daughter**_

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**Prologue:** Request

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The old hut was cold and creaking, as it usually was during a massive rain storm. The sound of waves crashing against the coastline outside was not missed by her sensitive ears, even if it was ignored, and the rain pounding on the roof was unwelcomed, lulling her to sleep.

Lynx hated the rain – or any type of water for that matter – just like her feline friend spread across the ruddy brown, worn out couch next to her.

Nolan, her snow leopard companion, could take up the entire couch if he wanted to because of his length, but he was kind enough to leave some room for his master, allowing the black-haired, brown-eyed human just enough space to lay next to him, letting his white and black-spotted fur give Lynx some sort of warmth. While it was true Lynx was the master, it was Nolan's job to keep Lynx safe at any cost, and as a result, the leopard acted more like a frantic brother than a pet.

With a slight roar, Nolan yawned, baring his teeth before proceeding to lick the tip of his paw.

"I feel you." Lynx muttered, returning the yawn a little. "I'm so tired of all the rain."

Nolan grunted in a form of agreement, but continued cleaning himself.

She smiled a little, scratching the leopard's head.

Suddenly, something pricked at the enchanted charm around Lynx's hut that kept her small, cottage-like home invisible to both Muggles and Wizards alike. She stiffened and Nolan let out a low growl, the paw he had been cleaning landing over her stomach in a protective gesture.

"It's just me." A familiar voice echoed around the room.

Lynx relaxed, her hands automatically stroking Nolan's paw in comfort as she looked over to her right.

As expected, the old man was standing against her wall, hands laced behind his back.

Headmaster of Hogwarts and her father, Albus Dumbledore.

"It's been awhile, old man." She said affectionately, turning back to scratch Nolan's ears.

"Have you been eating well?" He asked lightly.

"Yes." She answered, "Nolan's an excellent hunter; even caught us a giant eland earlier this week."

Dumbledore smiled, though it was nowhere near his eyes, "You're getting along better I see." He commented.

Lynx nodded, her earlier smile fading, "So?" She asked blatantly, "What do you want?"

"I have a favor to ask of you." He said matter-of-factly, "You've heard the rumors, haven't you? About the Dark Lord?"

"Yes. You sent Fawkes with the news, remember?" She said, dryly adding, "That's why I'm stuck in this stupid shed."

"Well, it seems as if the Dark Lord has yet to find out of a connection he has with Harry and in order to hold off on him using it, I'm going to be keeping my distance from him. However, there's still imminent danger around him and if I can't be there to be sure he's safe, I need someone who _can_ be there without being seen."

"And I was the first thought that came to your mind?" She half snorted.

"I need you to do this for me, Lynx." He continued, sounding almost desperate, "I know you won't know anyone and I know you've never been out of this place, but I need you now."

She let out a long sigh, blowing her long hair out of her face a little.

Protect Harry Potter? The boy who lived? The supposed Wizard of the Century? Why would he need her help?

"Why me?" She questioned out of curiosity.

After all, she was sure with his connections, the old man could easily find a strong witch or wizard to guard him. He was _thee_ Albus Dumbledore, headmaster at Hogwarts, Chief Warlock of Wizengamot, and so on; why would he possibly need to risk his daughter's life, one that he's gone to such lengths to protect, for such a simple job?

"Because you're the only one The Order of the Phoenix can trust in these times." He said, looking down at her with what seemed to be a warm smile, "The Dark Lord has no information on you; he has no idea what to expect out of a new, seemingly harmless, witch such as yourself. With that and your gift, you're the most reasonable choice."

She tensed up at the mentioning of her eyes.

_Gift_.

It was more of a curse in her mind.

"I have no choice, do I?" She muttered, "You really need me to do this, so I'll do it."

His smile widened, though it still wasn't quite reaching his eyes yet, "I knew we could count on you."

"Yeah, yeah." She said, waving him off as she sat up, ignoring Nolan's growls of protest, "Just don't expect me to befriend the guy. And I want Nolan to come."

"Of course." Dumbledore agreed, "Be sure to keep your identity a secret, however. From now on, you are no longer Lynx Jane Dumbledore, you are only known as Lynx. You will be enrolled into the school without a last name and your history will be vague, probably found in an orphanage."

"I understand." She said, nodding her head a little.

"Your identity is very important, Lynx. Do _not_ forget that the Dark Lord would give anything to know of your existence. Tell no one about your real name. A select few of the teachers in the school will know, but allow _them_ to approach _you_." He stressed.

"I know, dad, I know." She assured him, "But there's still one problem."

He raised an eyebrow, inviting her to explain.

"My eyes." She said, looking directly into his eyes. "I think you've forgotten."

While her father had brilliant, soul-piercing blue irises, hers were more of a warm, reddish-bronze, showing more brown on most occasions. However, when danger was near or when she lost her temper, the red flakes in them overpowered the bronze, glowing a dark crimson color.

"Those are what I'm counting on." He said, placing his hands on my shoulders, "Those eyes are going to stand out. The moment they start turning red, people, even dark witches and wizards, will flee. That's how everyone will know danger is near – your eyes."

So his plan was to not only save the boy, but turn people against her in an attempt to keep her anonymous.

The old grandfather clock next to Dumbledore chimed; it was midnight.

Lynx stood up, barely coming up to his white-bearded chin, "When do I start?"

He laced his hands together in front of him, smiling, "Right now."

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_**My very first Harry Potter Fan Fiction! It's set during the Fifth book (Order of the Phoenix), so Harry's fifteen :DD**_

_**Hope you liked the first chapter :D**_


	2. Chapter One: Demented

**_Dumbledore's Daughter_  
**

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**Chapter One:** Demented

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That was at the beginning of the summer.

Now, the summer was coming to a painfully hot close. The temperatures, well above ninety degrees, were too much for Nolan, who preferred colder climates, so he was at Mrs. Figg's, cooling down in her well air conditioned house.

On the other hand, perched on a branch in a wilting tree, almost entirely unseen, a lynx watched Harry Potter with barely-there brown eyes. Her soft, thick fur would've shined a silvery grey color, dense, black specks covering her entire body, if she had shown herself in the bright sun. Black ears pointed up in the sky, long, furry tufts trailing off of the tips, listening for anything that could be off. Her paws, unlike her leopard friend, were large and padded, made specifically for walking in snow, and long whiskers spouted from her face.

She found it interesting really. There were few Muggles out, but even then, the ones that were out didn't notice her hiding in the mostly naked tree. She was, after all, a rather large cat, something that would hardly go unnoticed.

Were Muggles naturally clueless? Or did they simply see what they wanted to see?

Though it wasn't just Muggles. Harry Potter had yet to notice her either and he was a wizard!

Of course, the poor guy was deep in thought, eyes focusing on something other than the dirt ground his head was turned down to.

She had noticed that he was almost always like that – thinking. The whole summer, he had walked around as if he was in a hazy dream. Lying in a bush just below his window, she could always hear his cries and pleas at night and could probably guess what he was seeing: Cedric Diggory, lying on the ground, lifeless.

Dumbledore had mentioned that the boy's death had bother Harry, but she hadn't thought it would bother him to this extent.

But, it was only natural that something like that bothered him; he probably blamed himself for it.

Something in the distance caught her eye and she looked to the left a little, watching as the pudgy, spoiled cousin walked past Harry.

Dudley was the boy's name… she thought. Even after all this time, she had a hard time remembering, not that it mattered much – the boy wasn't her favorite person in the world. In fact, with thick, blond hair and watery blue eyes, he was probably her least favorite person – other than his parents.

She watched with a hint of annoyance as he waddled down the road with a group of his dimwitted friends, oblivious to Harry's swing.

Harry seemed to notice too, his eyes following the donut kid as he made his way towards his house. With a slightly mischievous glint in his eyes, Harry removed himself from the swing, following after Dudley.

There weren't many places a giant lynx could hide and since lynxes weren't exactly native to England, Lynx was forced to stay on her branch, eyes following the wondering Potter with more concentration.

She watched with vague amusement as he said something to the Dudley boy, causing his face to redden with rage, resembling his father greatly. A few more words were exchanged (why couldn't she get closer! She _had_ to hear what made Dudley turn paler than ghost!) before Dudley said something that caused both of them to stop in their tracks. Harry was turned from her, so she couldn't see what expression he was making, but from the triumphant look Dudley held on his thick face, it wasn't anything good.

But that's where her amusement ended.

Something happened to the air around her around the same time both boys froze completely. One minute, Harry had pulled his wand to the Muggle child and the next, he and Dudley were frozen in place, the latter shivering uncontrollably.

The high, muggy hair had suddenly turned bitingly cold, causing even her, who was covered in a thick layer of fur that could withstand below zero temperatures, was feeling the effect.

_Dementors._

There was no time to waste.

She stood up on her four, massive paws, letting a loud, ear shattering roar bellow out, drawing attention to her hiding place.

One of Dudley's friends, whom she hadn't noticed, turned back to the tree in time for her to leap down, running at full pace towards the teens. With a shrill scream of his own, he rushed back to his house.

But Lynx didn't have time to worry about the scared Muggle – or even being seen. Her main priority was the boys about to be ambushed by two seething Dementors.

The closer she got, however, the colder she felt, her eyesight ebbing away.

"Who's there!" She heard Harry's voice call out, strained from concentration.

She cursed her animal form. No matter how much she had tried in the past, she was never able to learn how to speak while transformed. Her father had told her that it would be pointless to learn anyhow, so she had given up after three months of fruitless effort.

Now, however, she was deeply regretting it because without her voice, there were no charms she could voice to help them. And transforming into her human form would reveal herself to Harry, ruining Dumbledore's plan entirely.

Noting that her eyesight would be of no use, she closed them, ears standing up in concentration, listening intently…

"C-cut it out!" Dudley whimpered somewhere down the road, but she vaguely heard it.

Listening… there's no way she would hear their footsteps…

And then she heard it.

Apart from the three of them, there was something in the alleyway, something that was drawing rough, rattling breaths.

She let out a low growl, trying to distract whichever one that was closest to her as she heard Harry's palms smack against the concrete frantically in search of something.

Though she couldn't see anything, she could hear the hoarse wheezing of the cloaked figure, mere feet away from her and Harry.

Another low growl escaped before she heard a frustrated and desperate, "_Lumos!_"

Something glowed near her rare paw, but she barely gave it a passing glance as she felt the Dementor draw closer, sending her fur standing on end.

"_Expecto Patronum!_" Harry shouted, a small, silver vapor shooting from the top of his wand.

He suddenly came into her sight, only a few centimeters from her, and she caught a glimpse of the Dementor in front of him.

She pounced on it, baring her teeth.

It hissed in response, shoving her away and regaining itself, it's faceless hood looking at her.

She growled, letting another roar loose in hopes of signaling Mrs. Figg that something had happened.

There was another roar somewhere far in the distance and Lynx's ears perked up, though she couldn't move her head away from the Dementor to look at the other carnivore that had decided to make itself known.

"_EXPECTO PATRONUM!_"

A gigantic silver stag erupted from the tip of Harry's wand and she immediately dropped to the floor, getting out of his way. The stag, graceful and deadly, rushed to the Dementor in front of her, its body engulfing the black cloaked figure and throwing it backwards. Just when the stag went to charge again, the Dementor swopped away, disappearing in the darkness.

"DUDLEY?" Harry's frantic voice carried as he rushed past her, stopping only momentarily with a brief glance.

She quickly regained herself and followed after him, her ears perked up and listening.

It didn't take many steps – maybe a dozen or so – before she heard a deep and frightening growl rumbling in the back of someone's – or some_thing_'s – throat. Harry must've heard it to because he froze in mid-step, staring ahead at the white leopard.

Nolan had his head lowered to the ground, teeth bared in a menacingly way. His icy eyes turned a cold glance at Lynx and Harry before returning back to the cloak figure. With a fearful roar, Nolan pounced, pinning the Dementor where it's shoulders would've been if it had been human.

Behind Nolan, curled in a hopeless ball, was Dudley, his face covered with his thick fingers.

Harry brought the tip of his wand to Nolan and with a rushing sound, the silver stag came galloping past them and forced itself through Nolan, who instinctively jumped back to the whimpering Dudley. With a _whoosh_, the Dementor was thrown up from its lying position and into the air, dispersing into the darkness.

A warm breeze ruffled Lynx's fur and the stars, moon, and streetlights flooded her vision. She blinked several times, trying to adjust to the sudden return to light and heat, before Nolan rubbed her cheek affectionately, bringing her out of her daze.

She grunted, showing the worried Nolan that she was alright, and started to leave until-

"Don't put your wand away, idiot boy!" Mrs. Figg's shrill shriek filled the alleyway, "And you! Where do you think you're going!"


	3. Chapter Two: Meeting

_**Dumbledore's Daughter**_

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**Chapter Two: **Meeting

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"What?" Harry asked blankly.

Mrs. Figg was panting, which took away from the scowl etched in her face. Her scattered grey hair was escaping the hairnet wrapped around her head and her feet were halfway out of her tartan carpet slippers, both from, what Lynx suspected, running. Dangling from her wrist was her shopping bags that were clacking and clanking together.

She ignored the confused wizard, staring pointedly at Lynx, "Mundungus Fletcher left! Oh, I'm going to _kill_ him!" She growled, obviously on the verge of irate, "You have to stay until that idiot comes back! We haven't got time to stand around!"

"_What_?" Harry asked again, this time the confusion coating his voice.

She whirled to him, obviously in the mood for more ranting, "He left!" She repeated, "Left to go get a bunch of cauldrons that fell off the back of a broom! I told him if he went I'd flay him alive if he went, and now look! Dementors!"

"But-" Harry stopped, entirely lost, "You're – You're a _witch_?"

"I'm a Squib, as Mundungus knows full well, so how on earth was I supposed to help you fight off Dementors? He left you without anyone but L-" Mrs. Figg stopped when Nolan rubbed her leg, warning her not to give anything away, "-without anyone but _a_ lynx." She corrected herself.

However, this only brought on more scolding for Lynx.

"You!" She shrieked, pointing a boney old finger at Lynx's snout, "Do you understand what problems this will cause! Why didn't you do anything else? Now – oh, _what's_ Dumbledore going to say?"

Lynx grunted, rolling her eyes. What was she supposed to do? If she would've transformed, her cover would've been blown! Of course, protecting Harry Potter _obviously_ came first to her own safety. Did everyone forget that she was a wanted witch? Or was it more convenient to forget that little detail?

"You know Dumbledore?" asked Harry, staring at her in what seemed to be a mixture of surprise and confusion.

"Of course I know Dumbledore, who doesn't? But come _on_ – I'll be of no help if they come back, I've never so much as Transfigured a teabag." She bent down, seized one of Dudley's massive arms in her small hands, and tugged, "Get _up_, you useless lump, get _up_!"

But the shaken Muggle didn't budge, still curled on the floor with an ashen face.

The lynx sighed and looked over at Nolan, nodding towards the delirious boy lying on the floor. The leopard understood and they both moved towards Dudley.

With a light roar, that sounded more like a rough purr, Lynx nodded to her back.

"Put him on your back?" The old woman scoffed, "He's far too heavy for you."

Nolan tugged on her sleeves, grunting and nodding to his back as well.

"Both of your backs?" She thought about it for a minute, looking from the delirious boy to the two giant carnivores, "_Fine_. Just hurry it _up_."

Harry studied the lynx and leopard with suspicious eyes.

"What are you _waiting_ for?" Mrs. Figg hissed, "We have to _hurry_!"

They both bent down and lifted the baby killer whale-sized Muggle onto Lynx's and Nolan's back, trying to distribute the weight as evenly on the two as they could. Each of Dudley's arms were dangling around one of the wild cats, his body cradled in between their bodies. His feet, slightly too tall for them, were dangling off at their tails, hanging limply.

"Keep your wand out," she told Harry as they entered Wisteria Walk. "Never mind the Statute of Secrecy now, they're going to be hell to pay anyway, we might as well be hanged for a dragon as an egg. Talk about the Reasonable Restriction of Underage Sorcery… this was exactly what Dumbledore was afraid of – what's that at the end of the street? Oh, it's just Mr. Prentice… don't put your wand away, boy, don't I keep telling you I'm no use?"

Nolan and Lynx were starting to feel the effect of having someone as heavy as Dudley weighing down on their backs. Lynx, who wasn't used to carrying anything, could already feel a cramp itching in her stomach, while Nolan, who had only carried Lynx's human body (which was only about a third of Dudley), was starting to feel a dull ache on his broad shoulders.

"Why didn't you tell me you're a Squib, Mrs. Figg?" Harry asked, strolling in between Lynx and Mrs. Figg, still not entirely sure of the wild cats. "All those times I came around your house – why didn't you say anything?"

"Dumbledore's orders. I was to keep an eye on you, but not say anything; you were too young. I'm sorry I gave you such a miserable time, Harry, but the Dursleys would never have let you come if they'd thought you enjoyed it. It wasn't easy, you know… but oh my word," She said tragically, wringing her hands, "when Dumbledore hears about this – how could Mundungus have left? He was supposed to be on duty until midnight – where is he? How am I going to tell Dumbledore what's happened? I can't Apparate."

"I've got an owl, you can borrow her." Harry said matter-of-factly, eyes flicking to Lynx when an airy groan escaped her whiskered mouth.

"Harry, you don't understand! Dumbledore will need to act as quickly as possible. The Ministry has their own ways of detecting underage magic; they'll know already, you mark my words."

"But I was getting rid of Dementors, I had to use magic." He tried to reason, "They're going to be more worried about what the Dementors were doing floating around Wisteria Walk, surely?"

"Oh, my dear, I wish it were so, but I'm afraid – MUNDUNGUS FLETCHER, I AM GOING TO KILL YOU!"

There was a loud crack as the strong smell of alcohol and stale tobacco filled the air. A short, unshaven man wearing a holey overcoat materialized right in front of them. His squat legs crooked outwards, barely covered by his trousers. His ginger hair was straggly, messily covering his baggy, bloodshot eyes that resembled a basset hound. In his hand was a silver bundle that was quickly recognized as an Invisibility Cloak.

"S'up, Figgy?" He said rudely, eyes trailing from Mrs. Figg to Harry then to the Lynx, Nolan, and Dudley, "What 'appened to staying undercover?"

"I'll give you undercover!" Mrs. Figg cried, face turning red with rage, "Dementors, you useless, scavenging sneak thief!"

"Dementors?" repeated Mundungus, shaken, "Dementors 'ere?"

"Yes, here, you worthless pile of bat droppings, here!" She shrieked, "Dementors attacking the boy on _your_ watch!"

"Blimey." He said weakly, looking from Mrs. Figg to Harry to Lynx and then back to Mrs. Figg, "Blimey, I-"

Mrs. Figg raised the arm she had bags dangling from and with a painful _whack_, attacked Mundungus.

"Ouch! Gerroff – gerroff, you mad old bat! Someone's gotta tell Dumbledore!"

"Yes – they – do!" She whaled, "And – it – had – better – be –you – and – you – can – tell – him – why – you – weren't – there – to – help!"

"Keep your 'airnet on!" Mundungus yelled, his arms over his head in defense, "I'm going, I'm going!"

And with another loud crack, he vanished.

"I hope Dumbledore murders him!" She grumbled furiously, "Now come on you two over-sized cats, what are you waiting for?"

Lynx shot the impatient woman a death glare. Her limbs where aching from holding the bulky teenager and her four paws quivered, threatening to give out – if it hadn't been for Nolan, she wouldn't have been able to make it as far as she had.

Thankfully, they had arrived in front of Privet Drive number four and Harry reluctantly took hold of one of Dudley's elephant arms, hoisting it around his neck and dragging him towards the door. Before he opened the door, however, he turned back to the wild cats, eyes staring directly into Lynx's.

"Go." Mrs. Figg barked.

Harry blinked a few times before nodding, pushing open the front door.

Seconds ticked by as Mrs. Figg waited, making sure he was inside and no longer paying attention to the outside surroundings. When she was sure he was too busy with the Dursleys, she turned to Lynx.

"And you! You should be more careful, idiot woman. They were Dementors –_ Dementors, _I mind you – and you pounced on it like it was a mouse! What would you have done if Harry couldn't use the spell in time – not that it would've been good either way."

Heat flitted through Lynx's body, igniting every little crook and cranny with a blazing, yet comfortable heat. She could feel her bones cracking as they reordered themselves, forming back into a normal human.

Mrs. Figg watched as the black and white lynx turned into a teenage girl. Her black ears melted into long black hair that stopped somewhere near her lower back, bangs shaping her face and curving over one of her glowing red eyes a little. The fur receded, showing pale, almost soft white, skin, and her paws lengthened into long, slender fingers. Unfortunately, clothes weren't part of the changing; Lynx standing entirely bare to the warm night air.

Mrs. Figg tossed her a black cloak she had been concealing in her plastic bag of cat food and Lynx quickly wrapped it around her body, letting it flow past her bare feet.

"I had it under control." Lynx half lied. She had, indeed, kept the Dementor away from Harry, but the problem was getting rid of it completely without thePatronus Charm. "Our main problem is Harry's safety, remember?" Though, it did warm her heart that the old woman was worried about her safety too; she had thought the woman would surely chew her up and spit her out for not guarding Harry better.

"Yes, but you still need to worry about _you_." She said, exasperated, "If transforming to your human form unravels the plan, so what? Dumbledore would be _furious_ if you let yourself be killed, do you hear me?"

Lynx blinked, completely taken by surprise.

Had she been wrong? When the woman had scolded her earlier, was it because she was worried if _she_ could handle it as well and not just Harry? Had she jumped to the wrong conclusion, was her safety also a factor as well?

"And your eyes." Mrs. Figg continued, shaking her head in annoyance, "You better hope that idiot boy isn't as intelligent as Dumbledore seems to think he is."

"What?"

"Your eyes are glowing. Again." She stated unhappily, "You really should learn how to control them."

Lynx groaned, once again cursing at the Dementors.

This was the third time in the summer that had had them sparking up with an annoyingly bloody glow. The first time had been her first siting of the Dursleys and the way they'd treated Harry Potter – it had taken all of her will not to jinx them with the first spell that crossed her mind.

The second time, which wasn't really her fault, was when two Death Eaters decided to make themselves known. They had Apparated illegally across the street in Mrs. Figg yard, infuriating her for scaring one of her cats, Mr. Tibbles, and were planning on waiting for Harry to return from some shopping trip with his aunt and uncle. Because they were out – and no Muggles were around – Lynx had been able to merge into her human form without any problems.

And now this time. Though (again, it wasn't technically her fault) it was worse now because Harry had actually _seen_ her. If she was lucky, he wouldn't think anything of it and she would be able to enter Hogwarts without any suspicion, but she and luck were never on good terms, so her doubts were high. Of course, her eyes were more bronze when she was calm and safe, so maybe it wouldn't matter; maybe she was still on safe grounds. All she had to do was keep her temper in check and avoid danger – should be easy in a school where Dumbledore was the headmaster.

She blinked a couple times out of habit, even though she knew it wouldn't help the color cool down any quicker, and finally noticed how dark it was, ten thirty threatening to chime any minute.

"I have to go." Lynx said, petting Nolan's head while looking at Mrs. Figg, "The Order is waiting for me."

Mrs. Figg huffed, unhappy with my leaving while Mundungus was gone, "Fine. He should be back soon anyway – at least he better be or I'm going to skin him alive. But leave your tiger here while you're gone."

Nolan growled, aggravated that the cat-obsessed woman had called him a tiger when he was _obviously_ a snow leopard, and Lynx agreed, but gave in, not in the mood to argue with her when she was sure to get yelled at when she reached the Order's meeting, "Alright." She said reluctantly, bending down to rub noses with Nolan, "Be good and listen to Mrs. Figg. I'll be back in a few hours."

He grumbled in protest and Lynx laughed.

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**For those of you that didn't read the AN before this (that I'm planning on deleting), please stop telling me facts from the book. I _know_ Dumbledore's old and I _know_ he's gay, so you really don't need to tell me. There's an explanation for all of this as the story goes on, I guess I just figured you guys would know that, but apparently I was wrong.**

**Anyway, I hope you enjoy this story!**

**Reviews are welcomed, but not required :D**


	4. Chapter Three: The Order

**_Dumbledore's Daughter_  
**

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**Chapter Three:** The Order

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A long hallway loomed in front of Lynx, lit with a large chandelier and a few gas lamps. The carpet was worn thin; the wallpaper was peeling off. Directly above an umbrella holder on the left side was a picture frame covered with a black curtain, hiding the owner of the house's portrait: Walburga Black. One the other side was the dining room, which featured a dresser holding the Black family crest and china, now home to many spiders and other homely bugs. At the end of the narrow hallway were the stairs to the upper floors, which was decorated with a row of shrunken House Elf Heads mounted on plaques.

"Lynx." A warning voice pulled her from her wondering thoughts, "I thought Dumbledore told you about Apparating." Alastor Moody glared at her, his magical eye looking frantically around while the other stared in her direction.

"I'm sorry." Lynx said with a sigh, "Force of habit."

"Well un-force it." He growled.

She rolled her eyes at his back, earning a gruff, "I saw that" from him.

She chuckled and followed him down the hallway to a narrow staircase. At the bottom was the kitchen, the place where most of the meetings with The Order of the Phoenix took place.

It was a cavernous room with a large fireplace at one end and a large wooden table in the middle. Several, large pantry shelves lined up against the wall, a small room used by Kreacher, the House Elf, as a bedroom, nuzzled near the bottom.

"Lynx, dear." Mrs. Weasley greeted wholeheartedly, pulling her into a tight hug, "Glad to see you're alright."

Lynx couldn't help but smile. Even from the first meeting, when she was introduced, Mrs. Weasley had treated her as if she had been a long lost daughter instead of a complete stranger.

"Have you been eating well?" Mrs. Weasley continued, cupping Lynx's cheeks with her tired hands, "You look a bit pale."

Just as Lynx was going to lie and say she had eaten fine, Sirius grumbled, "Of course she hasn't. She's been as cooped up all summer as I have."

Mrs. Weasley shot Sirius an impatient look before smiling warmly at Lynx, "Want to stay for dinner then?"

"Um, I don't know if that's a good idea…" She mumbled.

"Of course it isn't." Came a very blank and eerily annoying voice.

Severus Snape sat in a chair on the far left side, looking almost like he belonged in the dark house. With sickly, yellowish skin covered in long black robes, it was almost uncanny how well he matched the creepy living space.

"She's already screwed up once today; we can't have her revealing her identity too." He continued.

Lynx hissed out of reflex, bearing the teeth of her lynx form unconsciously, surprising poor Mrs. Weasley.

"Lynx." Dumbledore scolded, coming to the head of the table opposite to Lynx, "That's enough."

"But he-" She protested childishly, pointing at Snape.

"-is right." Dumbledore cut her off.

"Now, now." Mrs. Weasley said, "Let's wait until the other members arrive, shall we? Until then, what would you like to eat, Lynx?"

"That's, um, not really necessary-" To her embarrassment, her stomach growled in protest. Her eyes widened and red rushed to her face as she wrapped her arms around her stomach.

Mr. Weasley let out a hardy laugh as Moody grunted, "How long has it been since your last meal?" Mrs. Weasley asked.

Lynx laughed uneasily, rubbing her head, "Only a few days…" She mumbled.

"A few days!" She shrieked, "I'll go get you something to eat right away, dear, just take a seat next to Arthur and I'll be right back."

She sighed in defeat, sitting in a wooden chair next to Mr. Weasley, "How's everything?" She asked halfheartedly.

He looked at her grimly, "The ministry is still refusing to admit the return of You-Know-Who."

"That sucks." Lynx said, though it was obvious to everyone in the room that she was just trying to deter the subject from her white lie.

Mrs. Weasley returned shortly after, bringing in bowl full of meaty soup, "Here you go dear." She said, setting it down in front of Lynx, "Eat as much as you want."

"Thank you." Lynx said warmly, surprising Dumbledore with the genuine smile she gave Mrs. Weasley.

She ate in silence, enjoying the taste of the thick hot liquid. One by one, the member of the Order of the Phoenix piled in as she shoved one spoonful of soup in her mouth after another, trying rather successfully to hide how hungry she really was.

Of course, even if she _had_ eaten like a pig, none of the members would've noticed because few even bothered acknowledging her presence.

Unlike Mr. Weasley, Dumbledore, Mad-Eye Moody, and Sirius, most of the other members didn't like have someone like Lynx (who not only was underage, but also didn't even _exist _until the beginning of summer) in the Order. Mrs. Weasley simply found it distasteful that such a young girl was risking her life – one that she never really had a change to live! – while others, like Snape, didn't trust her to do the job right.

And with the Dementor attack, they were _definitely_ going to argue her importance in the Order.

Kingsley Shacklebolt, however, accepted her presence by sitting down in front of her, smiling slightly, "Taste good?" He asked in a deep resonating voice.

She grinned up at the dark-skinned, bald man, swallowing, "Yep." She popped, "Mrs. Weasley is an _awesome_ cook."

It was interesting, Dumbledore thought for a moment, that he found Lynx acting more like a teenager in front of people like Kingsley and Mrs. Weasley, who just gleamed with reassurance and understanding. Or, rather, _any_ adult that showed any sign of caring.

Nyphadora Tonks took a seat on the other side of Lynx, glaring at Severus as she sat down, "It smells good." She commented.

"Well I hope you're hungry." Mrs. Weasley said, taking a stand at the end of the table, to the left of Mr. Weasley, "Dinner's after the meeting."

Tonks pouted slightly, but turned back to Lynx, "I like your eye color." She said, "Really cool red. Are those the eye protectors Muggles are always wearing?"

Mr. Weasley was suddenly looking at her, mid-spoonful, "They don't appear to be like the one's Harry wears."

"Not those!" Tonks said, "You know! The ones that are clear and go right into the eye, some can even change the color of their eyes?"

"Contacts." Lynx offered, holding her spoon near the rim of her bowl, "And no, they're not. This is the natural color of my eyes."

"But they were bronze when we first met." Tonks said, eyes widened, "Are you a Metamorphmagus too?"

"Not exactly…" She said, taking another bite.

"Then what-"

Tonks was cut off by Snape, who had raised his voice, "But she _obviously_ can't do the job right!" He argued.

Apparently, while Lynx's friendly conversation with the few people who actually liked her had gone on, the members near Dumbledore, including Sirius, Snape, Moody, and Remus, had already started discussing things.

"She's fifteen, Snape; you can't _possibly_ expect her to be perfect." Sirius defended, biting bitterness in his voice.

"Exactly!" Olympe Maxime, the head mistress for the French Magic Academy, agreed, "That's our point! The girl is only fifteen; how can she do anything useful!"

Lynx sat the spoon in her bowl, hands falling to her lap. Her appetite, for some reason, was suddenly gone.

"This is ridiculous!" Sirius growled, "She's sacrificed her freedom to guard Harry! She's the reason you people can rest!"

"Obviously not," Snape said coldly, "if she almost got the boy killed. If it wasn't for his annoying habit of breaking the rules, they both would've been dead."

"ENOUGH!" Mrs. Weasley shouted, coming to Lynx's back side, resting one of her hands on each of Lynx's shoulders, "She's just a _child_ – how can you all talk about her like this?"

Lynx smiled to herself a little. You had to love Mrs. Weasley.

"I see your point, Severus," Dumbledore said, "but Sirius _is_ right. She has done a lot for us these past few months." He looked pointedly at Lynx, "We can't have a replay of today's events, however. Understood?"

She stared at him, unblinkingly.

He sighed, unsurprised by her lack of reaction, "From now on, we need to be extra careful." He continued, "For the remainder of the summer, Harry should stay here. We'll send the Advanced Guard to his aunt and uncle's house to get him soon."

"And what about Lynx?" Mrs. Weasley asked, the worriedness in her voice making Lynx smile softly again, "With Harry here, can't she stay too?"

"_Absolutely_ _not_!" Snape snapped, "That girl is going to unravel the entire plan!"

"Well, maybe if we told her what the plan _is_." Kingsley offered, sending her a quick wink.

"In good time." Dumbledore said, watching as Lynx smile stayed in place, "But, for now, I agree with Severus on this one: It's best if we wait to introduce her to Harry, face to face of course."

"Then where will she go?" Demanded Mrs. Weasley, "What can she possibly do for the rest of the summer?"

"She will do what she usually does at this time of the year." He stated simply, "Wait for orders at Arabella Figg's place."

Mrs. Weasley grumbled, unsatisfied with this, and Lynx found herself smiling again.


	5. Chapter Four: Hogwarts Express

**_Dumbledore's Daughter_**

* * *

**Chapter Four: **Hogwarts Express

* * *

Lynx spent the remainder of the summer locked up in Mrs. Figg small house, debating on whether to just off her self already.

Of course, she never really would, but the thought had crossed her mind more than once.

The house itself smelled awful to her sensitive nose, the stale scent of cats and dust never far away. Not to mention the small size (poor Nolan had nowhere to stretch out). Mostly, she spent her time sleeping during the day and sneaking out with Nolan to roll around in the grass for exercise and entertainment.

She had received little notice about anything in the Order. Honestly, she had received little notice of anything other than the result of Harry's trial, which he had thankfully been proven innocent. With not news from Dumbledore, she figured she was supposed to board the Hogwarts express like everyone else.

So that's what she did.

Now, sitting in a compartment alone with Nolan, who was spread out along the seat, his massive paws and fluffy white head on her lap lazily, snoring almost silently, she stared out the window thoughtlessly, waiting for the students to pile in.

None of them had even so much as slipped opened the door (whether it was because of Nolan or the obvious annoyance on Lynx's face, she didn't know nor care) so she figured she was going to be on her own the entire trip.

Until she heard it slide open, her head turning to a redheaded girl.

She was pretty, Lynx noticed, with a delicate and feminine physique. Her red hair was long, past her shoulders, and shaped around her face, showing bright brown eyes, fair skin, and small lips.

This girl was Ginevra Weasley, Mrs. and Mr. Weasley's youngest.

"Hey, is it okay if we take these seats?" She asked, smiling warmly at Lynx.

Her eyes scanned behind the young Weasley and widened slightly at the sight of Harry, another boy not far behind him. She wasn't sure why she was surprised – it was obvious that she'd run into him at some point, being in the same house as him and all – but it might've just been the fact that _he_ himself was studying her as well.

Could he know she was the Lynx who had saved him?

She shook her head and nodded, looking at Nolan, "Make room, Nol." She said, scratching his ears.

He yawned, opening his mouth widely enough to bare his teeth, his tongue curling, and jumped off of the seat, rumbling the compartment noticeable. He sat at her feet, his back in between her legs, and watched the guest enter with calculating eyes.

She scratched his ears in assurance, causing him to let out something resembling a purr.

They made their way in, watching Nolan with guarded eyes. Even Harry, who had met him before (though he probably didn't remember) was guarded as he placed his luggage and owl's cage in the luggage rack before sitting down. Surprisingly, Harry sat himself in front of Lynx, though she refused to make eye contact with him, focusing instead on scratching Nolan's broad back.

"I'm Ginny." The girl said, smiling at Lynx, "I don't think we've met before."

She studied her, "Lynx." She said softly, watching her face.

"Are you new to Hogwarts, Lynx?" She continued.

"Yes." She answered instantly, softening her sharp gaze.

"Really?" Ginny asked, sounding surprised, "You don't look like a first year."

"I'm not." She said, sitting back in her seat, allowing Nolan to turn around and put his front paws of the edge of the seat, looking at her expectantly, "I'm a fifth year."

Ginny tilted her head, "They let you enroll in Hogwarts in the middle of the year?"

"Apparently." Lynx mumbled dryly. She was uncomfortable under the stares from the three and was starting to feel a little claustrophobic.

Why was this girl asking her so many questions so boldly anyway? Shouldn't she be shying away from her? Lynx was a stranger to her after all – was it normal to start a conversation with people you didn't know?

"You have a gorgeous leopard." Ginny said, another smile on her face, "She looks very strong."

Nolan looked at her and grunted.

Lynx chuckled, "She's actually a he." She corrected, smiling a small smile, "But you're right: he's quite remarkable."

A familiar rumble emitted from the back of his throat, something that Lynx had learned was the same as purring for a leopard.

"I'm sorry." Ginny laughed, "Is he friendly?"

Lynx looked up at her, her eyes shining with mischief, "Would you like to find out?" She challenged.

Before Ginny could answer, Lynx ruffled the fur on Nolan's head, "How about telling Ginny thank you for the compliment?"

Nolan grunted and moved himself off of the seat, turning to face Ginny, who was staring at him with uncertainty. He barely had to take a step before he was right in front of her, eyes scanning her as if he was evaluating her soul or something.

It made Ginny fairly uncomfortable.

But just when it was getting unbearable, the giant carnivore rubbed the side of his head along her knee, growling with impatience.

Nolan trusted her, a sign that Lynx could trust her as well.

"He wants you to pet him." Lynx said, the smile on her face more genuine then the others.

Hesitantly, as if she was still unsure of Lynx's motives, Ginny reached out her hand and lightly touched Nolan's head. Nolan, in response, laid his head on her lap, the familiar deep purr filling the compartment.

"So he's yours?" Harry said, suddenly making himself know.

Lynx hesitated, not entirely wanting to look away from Nolan, but met Harry's green eyes nonetheless, nodding, "His name's Nolan."

"Nolan?" The boy next to her repeated, "Where'd ya get that name from?"

"He was named by the orphanage when they found us." She lied quickly. In reality, he was named after her older brother, but that was something not even Dumbledore knew.

"Oh." The boy mumbled lamely, "I'm sorry."

"That's Neville Longbottom, by the way." Ginny beamed, still rubbing Nolan's head, "He's in your grade."

"Don't worry about it." Lynx said absently to Neville, lost in the thought of her brother.

"Do you – er – know any other leopards?" Harry asked, pulling her from unpleasant memories.

Lynx raised an eyebrow, wondering what he was getting at, "No. Nolan's the only one that I know." She said.

Harry nodded, head turning to the window.

He could swear that the leopard resembled the one at the park, but they could all look alike for all he knew. Of course, this one also seemed to have the single small black spot in between his icy eyes, just like the other…

The train ride was agonizingly slow in Lynx's opinion. You would _think_ that someone who spent most of her life locked up in a two or three room shack with nothing to do but draw in the dust would be more patient than most, but at least in her shack she was able to wrestle with Nolan or even hunt for that matter. She enjoyed the outdoors, craved it even, and with the majority of hot weather spent watching over the boy who was now two feet from her, she was starting to feel restless. Her eyes trailed longingly out the window, watching as the outsides passed by in a steady blur, taunting her with open fields and vast forests.

What she would give to be able to run.

Sometime during her zoning out, two of Harry's friends, Ron and Hermione if Lynx hadn't heard wrong, had joined them, taking both of their seats next to her and forcing Neville to move next to Ginny and Nolan to return to Lynx's feet. She was fairly uninterested in anything the students had to talk about so she barely moved as they talked about the other Prefects, eyes lingering outside.

However, when the door slid open again, the person at it had the hairs on Lynx's arms stand on end. Nolan, too, stiffened at the unwanted presence, going rigid under Lynx's fingers.

She turned to another student, one she had heard the order talking about: Draco Malfoy.

"What?" Harry asked aggressively, surprising Lynx with the harshness.

"Manners, Potter, or I'll have you put in detention." The sleep blonde said smugly, obviously proud of himself, "You see I, unlike you, have been made a Prefect, which means I, unlike you, have the power to hand out punishments."

"Yeah," Harry said, "but you, unlike me, are a git, so get out and leave us alone."

Everyone but Harry and Lynx laughed.

Malfoy's lips curled into a malevolent smirk, causing Lynx's eyes to darken, "Tell me, how does it feel to be second-best to Weasley, Potter?"

"Shut up." Hermione said sharply.

"I seemed to have touched a nerve." He smirked, "Well, just watch out, Potter, because I'll be dogging your footsteps in case you step out of-"

Nolan let out a low growl, baring his teeth menacingly at the boy, "Out." Lynx hissed, finally tired of the edgy feeling she had around the child, "Now."

"And who's this?" Malfoy continued, eyeing her, "New freak added into the mix?"

She could see the red dots in her vision, feel the threatening heat flitting through her body, but what bothered her the most was the uncomfortable coolness she detected in his voice. It reminded her of the boy's father, which was painstakingly bad for Lynx.

"Get out." She repeated, this time it was more controlled, but not any less frightening. As if to emphasize the threat, Nolan glared at him, eyes narrowing as the growled became more pronounced.

Malfoy, showing some size of self-preservation, walked away, two idiots following after him.

"Woah." Ron said, pulling her from her thoughts. "That was wicked."

Lynx blinked, forgetting entirely that she was in the midst of people, and relaxed her coiled muscles, reaching out to pet Nolan.

"Did you see how the cat turned from all loving to complete death trap?" He continued, looking at Nolan with what seemed to be impressment, "It was like you two were sharing one mind or something."

Lynx smiled, the gesture softening her face immensely, "Nolan and I simply don't like the same type of people." She said lightly.

"Is he like your guard dog or something?" Ron continued.

Nolan shot him a glare, growling a little, and Ron jumped back, causing Ginny to suppress a giggle.

"He doesn't like dogs either." She informed him, still smiling, "But no. He's more like what her cat is to her." She said, glancing at Hermione.

"I see." Ron said unsteadily, watching Nolan with more caution, "He won't attack me, will he?"

She chuckled, "No." She said, "He was simply warning you that he's better than any dog."

"Right." Ron said, making a mental note to remember that.


End file.
